Color-printing machine.



G." F. M. KROENERT & H. J. MEYER. coma PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 20, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

724114414 1 W W M m 1: 544% MW;

c. F. M. KROENERT & 1a. MEYER. COLOR PRINTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1913.

I Patnted Feb. 10, 19m

8 SHEETS-BREE! 2.

C. P. M. KROENERT & H. J. MEYER.

COLOR PRINTING MAGHlNE.

APPLICATION rum MAYZO, 1913.

1,086,721. Patented Feb. 10, 1914.

3 SHBBTS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PrhTENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH MAX KROENERT AND HANS JENS MEYER, 0F ALTONA-QN- THE-ELBE, GERMANY.

COLOR-PRINTING MACHINE.

Specifiation of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 20, 1913. Serial No. 768,723.

To ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHRISTIAN Famo- RICH MAX KROENERT and Hans J ENS MEYER, both mechanical engineers, subjects of the German Emperor, and residents of No. 239 Schiitzenstrasse, Altona-on-the-Elbe. Germany, have invented new and useful Tmprovements in Color-Printing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In the machines hitherto used for color printing on paper and fabrics in lengths, the setting of the color applying device and pattern cylinder, the stretching of the color band,. and the rectification of small errors, have been accomplished with the aid of screw threaded spindles. Such screwthrcaded spindles, and their accessories, are costly to manufacture and fit, and lend themselves readily to misuse; one screw or another is apt to be turned, purposely or accidentally, and the machine put out of order, unknown to the machine man whose attention is often not aroused at all or in the most favorablecase only after the machine has gone on running for some time. In this way serious losses may be incurred. According to the present invention a machine for color printing on paper and fabrics in lengths is constructed entirely without such screwthreaded spindles, whose functions are fulfilled by a device of special construction, which serves not only to stretch the color band. but also to correct small mistakes in the setting of the color applying device and pattern cylinders relatively to each other. This device is of the simplest construction and so easy to manipulate that even an unskilled person can set the machine accir rately. a

The bearings of the color applying device and of the. pattern cylinders are carried from the side frames of the machine in such a way that the gears. for transferring the mo tion from the central driving wheel to the color applying sets and pattern cylinders always remain in mesh even when the color applying devices or pattern cylinders are being set, or when one of the latter is being changed for another of a different size.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a right-hand side elevation and Fig. 2 a left-hand side elevation of the machine. Both figures show two similar color rioting sets arranged one above the other. ig. 3 is a plan view of the upper color printing set.

The color applyin mechanism consists of the color boxes 1", t e picking-up rollers 19 which apply the color to the hands 8, and the guide rollers l, m, n, therefor; these are sup ported in the arms 0 by means of sliding members (IL While the pattern cylinders f are supportedin sliding members 6'. Shafts to, with handwheels h, and worms it, drive through gearing k, d, j, 7' and e, the inechanism which produces a movement of: the color-applying device and of the pattern cylinders in the ratio of 2 to 1 as described in the specification of British Patent No. 1.7335 of 1907.

The gear wheels is, y" and d are fixed to the shaft 0 while the gears c which mesh with the idle wheels on the pins 3 are each free to rotate on a pin 2 on the arm :1. The side frames of the machine are marked 3 and t applying sets is marked a and the central register wheel which is turned by the pattern cylinders f is marked a. il itii the central wheel u mesh the tooth wheels Z, which can turn on pins The latter are situated in arms 3 attached to the side frame 1 and are connected my means of links 4 with the pins 5 on which the tooth wheels 6 can rotate. These tooth wheels in turn mesh with tooth Wheels 7 which are attached to the shafts 8 of the guide rollers m of the color bands s. The shafts 8 carry at their ends links 9 which are connected by pins 5 to links 45; the shafts 8 are carried in the side frames 2' which also serve for supporting the guiderollers Z and n. .011 the other side frame t of the machine are fixed the arms 3 in which grooves 3 are formed to take the mandrels 10 for carrying the connecting wheels 11, "the grooves forming circular arcs Whose mean radius is equal to the sum of the radius of the pitch circle of the central register wheel u, and of a connecting wheel 11. The links 12 are coupled to the mandrels 10, and serve Patented Feb. 10, 1914s to carry the shafts f. On these shafts f are fixed the tooth Wheels 13 which mesh with the connecting wheels 11.

The central register wheel u serves solely to connect the pattern cylinders with one another, in order to compel them to remain in register. Therefore, the wheel u" must be an idle wheel. It is revoluble on astrut shaft situated in an extension of the impression cylinder axis. Since it. connects the pattern cylinders through the medium of the gears 11, it necessarily rotates in the opposite direction to that in which the impression cylinder rotates.

The upper color applying set is provided with a pattern cylinder f of small diameter, and the other color applying set with a pattern cylinder f of large diameter. The color applying devices are shown set in positions to correspond with the different diameters of the pattern cylinders. In consequence of the peculiar connection between the central wheel u and the color applying device on the one hand, and between the central register wheel u and the pattern cylinders f on the other hand, it is possible within a few minutes to put in a pattern cylinder of any desired diameter, to change the color band and to set the printing mechanism in register. If the colors are to be changed at any time or if the pattern cylinders are taken out for cleaning, there is no risk that the pattern cylinders will be inserted askew because the gears at the two ends would then be seen to engage either too deeply or not deeply enough.

Ir Fig. 1 on the top left-hand side a 001 r band of normal length is shown, while on the lower left-hand under side a very long color band is shown. In Fig. 2 shorter color bands are shown, that of the upper color applying set being shown stretched while that of the lower set is slackened. Color bands of different lengths are shown in the drawings in order to demonstrate that the stretching of the same can be accomplished by one and the same device even when the color bands are of unequal lengths. The device for stretching a color band consists of two levers 14, 14, which can turn about pins 15, 15, fixed in the side frames 2 of the color applying device. These levers are provided with sector-like arms 14, 14, which carry the hand levers 17, 17 upon pins 16, 16. These hand levers in turn have. eccentrically bored bosses for carrying the ax 105 n of the guide rollers n over which the color band 8 runs. The hand levers 14 which are revoluble about pins 15' can be locked in any desired position in engage-- ment with the teeth or perforations of quadrants 18 fixed onthe side frames 7? of the color applying mechanism. The hand levers 17 17 can also be locked in any position in a similar way by engagement with the-teeth or perforations of quadrants 19 fixed on the arms 14 of the levers 14. The side frames e', 2' of the color applying device serve also to carry the scraper 20 which is arranged either above or below the color band 8. The scraper is attached to a shaft 20 carrying a hand lever 21, which is adjustable upon the quadrant 22, provided with teeth or holes arranged on the side frame of the color applying device.

The lever 14 serves to stretch the color band 8, while the hand lever 17 is used to adjust that part of the color band which lies between the guide rollers m and n, that is to say the hand lever 17 is used only to bring the pattern cylinder and the color hand more or less into contact with each other. The color band stretches with use. l'Vith the aid of the lever 1 4 it is easy to put the color band under the" necessary tension. This lever 14 is also used when the color band is changed or when it is taken off the mttChlYle to be cleaned. In the latter case it is necessary to slacken the color band by means of the lever 14, and therefore it is necessary in putting back the color band to stretch it again with the aid of this small lever 14 alone.

23 is a hand lever adjustable upon a toothed quadrant 24, and which serves to adjust laterally the position of the pattern cylinder.

Having now described our invention, what we claim as new ters Patent is 1. ha color printing machine for printing on paper and fabrics in lengths, the combination with the frame, cylinder, actuating mechanism, and a plurality of pattern cylinders with color applying means therefor, including color applying bands and tension rollers, of driving means for said color applying bands comprising a central gear wheel, tooth wheels meshing therewith, arms projecting from wheels, links carried by said arms and tooth wheels carried by said links adapted to remain in mesh in all positions of the links. and means connecting the end-most link of each set to the axis of the tension roller thereof.

2. In a color printing machine for printing on paper and fabrics in lengths, the combination with the frame, the impression cylinder, a plurality of pattern cylinders and color applying means therefor, of interconnecting gearing for the comprising a coptral gear wheel, arms projecting from the machine frame tooth wheels and means for supporting them adjustably in said arms, links extending from said arms and connected to the ends of the shafts the impression pattern cylinders and desire to secure by Lett of the pattern cylinders longitudinally comof the pattern cylinders and tooth wheels I In testimony whereof we have signed our 10 conneoted with the pattern cylinders mesh names to this specification in the presence of ing wlth the tooth wheels supported on said two subscribing witnesses.

frame, and means for ad uStmg the shafts CHRISTIAN FRIEDRICH MAX KKOENERT prising levers engaging with bearings of the 1 HANS JENS MEYER pattern cylinder shafts, and means for lock- Witnesses:

mg the evers in various positions of ad- F. JULIUS Poms,

justment. ERNEST H. L. MUMMENHOFF. 

